Monday, November 23, 2009

The Go Team: A Journey - Antonio

As the morning grew colder, the line grew longer, and the excitementgrew wilder on the sidewalk of West 54th street.Passers-by wonderedabout the 250-people-deep line and the cameras rolled by to ask: “Whyare you the right one to be the Charmin Ambassador?”.

I must admit, walking by the 75 people in line ahead of me, Ithought: “Another open call, really? Really?!”But as a CharminAmbassador I’d be meeting, greeting, and entertaining people and thisis what I naturally enjoy doing. So to get paid for it…well, I mean…Istayed.A couple of “bathroom trains”, “stay warm dances” (verysimilar to the “potty dance”), and an array of costumes and toiletpaper props later, we finally went into the holding room at the Hilton.

OK, about the costumes.The most impressive was the sparklysuperhero couple.They had long flowy colorful hair, sparkly goldbodices, red leggings and blue star-ridden capes.Their height waseven stretched further by their six inch, knee-high, silver platformboots.You get the picture? (Go to Enjoythego.com to see them.)Therest were toilet paper based or inspired.Toilet paper grandma wasat the very front of the line with her friend, donning a flappery,fringy, crafty dress, meticulously made out of TP.There was PrinceCharmin, a knight in Charmin armor, sashes, hair ties, crowns,bandanas, and straggling pieces on people’s shoes.

I wondered if I should have brought in a costume or a prop or agimmick; for a little while got kinda psyched out.That’s not reallyme, though, and I was well prepared based on what I do—host, partymotivate, entertain, connect and engage with people, etc…--so I stuckto my original game plan.

Four hours of waiting in lines, and it was finally my turn to go inthe room.I got the usual audition jitters, a combination of nervesand excitement, but went in there determined to just be myself.Itwent very well.They asked questions. Boom, I answered.They askedhow’d I entertain people. Boom, I did a little cha cha. (The CharminCha Cha I like to call it. Come on down to the Charmin Restrooms andyou can learn it too!!!)Then one casting director behind the tablecracked up as she asked me: “Do you blog about your log?”I crackedup with her.

It was an awesome audition experience!Everyone was super nice andafter a callback round, HERE I AM, blogging with you, America abouthow we all ‘Enjoy the Go!’ So keep an eye out for Stars on the Go(celebrity sightings) and Fancy Flushes (the swankiest bathrooms) andshare them with me.